Surface Pro 2.1?

Reports, ahem, surfaced this week from users that Microsoft had subtly changed the hardware in newly built versions of the Surface Pro 2, updating the processor and supporting chipset. This change isn't big enough to warrant much excitement—especially not from those who already own a Surface Pro 2—but it's certainly worth exploring briefly.

News of an updated Surface Pro 2 appeared first on Microsoft's support web site, where a user noted that the firm had replaced his Surface Pro 2 with a version that includes a slightly better processor and chipset.

"I returned my Surface Pro 2 because of the poor performance after the failed 12.10.13 firmware update," Guy Glennon writes in the forum post. "I recall the SP2 I returned having a i5 4200U processor. To my surprise, when I checked the System Properties in the Control Panel on my replacement SP2, the processor was upgraded to an i5 4300U @ 1.9GHz."

Microsoft has apparently confirmed the change to the Verge, though the quote in no way confirms the change noted by Guy Glennon.

"Microsoft routinely makes small changes to internal components over the lifetime of a product, based on numerous factors including supply chain partnerships, availability, and value for our customers," a Microsoft statement notes. "With any change to hardware or software, we work to ensure that the product experience remains excellent."

So assuming this is all true, what does it mean?

Almost nothing. Microsoft included the Intel i5 4200U processor with the original version of the Surface Pro 2. This is a 1.6 GHz part that can hit 2.6 GHz in "Turbo" mode, which I thought we had dispensed with in the 1990s. The new Surface Pro 2 includes an Intel i5 4300U processor, which runs at 1.9 GHz, or 2.9 GHz in Turbo. They are priced identically. And they're very similar technologically, with the same processor graphics (Intel HD Graphics 4400 at 200 MHz, though the 4300U has a slightly faster max frequency) and so on.

There is perhaps two meaningful areas of difference. Where the 4200U does not support Intel vPro technology or Intel Trusted Execution Technology (a new TPM-type technology, it looks like), the 4300U does.

And then there's the esoteric stuff. The 4300U supports the Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d), Intel TSX-NI, Intel Stable Image Platform Program (SIPP), Intel Small Business Advantage, and Intel Smart Response Technology, whatever that all is. The 4200U does not.

From a real world, it's 2014 now perspective, the differences between a Surface Pro 2 running a 4200U and one with a 4300U should be minor to non-existent. And aside from the truly compulsive, if you're in the market for a Surface Pro 2 right now I wouldn't worry about which processor you get.

Oh, you say you are truly compulsive?

Then, consider this comparison. The i5-4200U received an overall score of 6.9 out of 10, compared to the i5-4300U's core of 7.2 out of 10. Benchmark-based performance was slightly higher on the 4300U, as you'd expect. But power consumption—more important on a tablet-type device, I think, and the entire point of Intel's "U"-series chips—was literally identical. And oddly enough, the 4200U ranked higher on a "features" comparison that is lacking in explanation. But the important bit is the conclusion: "No winner declared. Too close to call."

Discuss this Article 12

so what if you have two boxes in front of you, how do you know which one has the discontinued 2.0 model versus the 2.1 model. yeah, I get it they are close, but they are not the same even if the cost the same. and that's the point. they cost the same, shouldn't we be told which one we're getting? MSFT doesn't label the boxes differently.

The CPU Boss data for the 4300 looks wrong in the technicals (probably the reason for the perceived higher rating of the 4200, as they claim 4200 supports more memory types, which is wrong and that performance per watt is better, which also can't possibly be right as they have the same TDP).

Turbo mode on the Core series CPUs means that when appropriate the CPU can clock higher than its normal operating speeds. Sometimes they even powering down some of the cores in the chip in order for the others to have the thermal headroom to run at much higher speeds.

I'm assuming you already knew that and were just making a joke, but just in case people took you seriously....

I just got my Pro 2 on November 27, and it sure enough has the 4200 (Haswell) processor. But I do have Microsoft Complete. I wonder why they didn't start production of the original SP2 with the 4300 (Hasbetter) processor? I think they were around at the same time anyway.

All of the Intel-mumbojumbo included are more or less security features which makes Surface 2 even more enterprise-ready than it already was. Absolutely useless for normal people or even typical power users. The extra performance even if small is nice addition though considering no extra cost.

SRT probably doesn't have any application on this type of device. It basically allows creation of a logical SSHD using an SSD and an HDD volume. Typically you would use a small mSATA SSD, to cache a RAID volume. More applicable to a desktop computer, and not something you could likely do with a Surface.

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